John 7:6-7 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.” (NIV)
Lord Jesus,
These are complicated times
Which try our souls,
Test our spirits,
And conflict with our faith.
The specter of hatred
Has overshadowed our land,
And the confusion of evil
Has frightened our people.
We have lost the path
That promotes peace,
And have fallen from the way
That leads to love.
Lord Jesus,
We need Your Spirit to guide us.
We need Your words to save us.
We need Your ways to mend us.
The Spirit of justice and liberty
Weeps over our land,
Our leaders, and our people.
We know that we have sinned
By allowing ignorance, intolerance,
And injustice to divide us.
Lord Jesus,
Forgive our false ideas
And foolish notions.
Protect us from ourselves,
And the pain we cause
Through pride, self-righteousness,
And indifference.
Give us the courage
To denounce evil,
And disavow ourselves
From prejudice,
Chaos, and hopelessness.
In Your Holy Name,
We pray. Amen.
Pastor John Stuart
Erin Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Unified in Christ, we actively seek to create harmony in a diverse community through compassion, mutual respect, and love.